(Not Applicable)
The present invention relates to the cooling of packaged flowers and, more particularly, to the cooling of packaged flowers using vertical air flow.
There are many references to the value and importance of removing heat from packaged flowers and lowering the temperature to near freezing. Product life is extended because the rate of respiration (heat generated by the flowers), the production of ethylene, the loss of moisture, and other effects of senescence are all slowed.
There are also proven processes for horizontally pre-cooling traditional dry packaged flowers. One method incorporates a horizontal tunnel cooler to direct the cooling air to the side of a Procona(trademark) package. This method requires labor to position the packages on and off the pre-cooling equipment, and takes up valuable cooler space, neither of which shippers are willing to give over to the process.
It would thus be desirable to provide a low cost method of directing the air vertically through the packages, thereby using much less cooler space and very little handling.
Using a vertical air flow method, the machine according to the present invention cools packaged flowers as they slide through a slot type precooler, which directs the cooling air into the top of the package, down through the flowers, and exhausting it through the hand holes and vents in the water container part of the package.
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a precooler system for packaged flowers includes a closed cabinet having a slotted opening in an upper surface, the slotted opening being sized to receive the packaged flowers. A conveyor is disposed in the closed cabinet that supports the packaged flowers. A blower assembly is positioned either remotely with a closed duct connection to the cabinet or below within the cabinet to supply/draw airflow substantially vertically through the packaged flowers from top to bottom. The system may additionally include structure for covering any portion of the slotted opening that is not occupied by packaged flowers. At least one angle bracket may be extended along the full length of corresponding edges of the slotted opening, the angle bracket guiding the packaged flowers through the slotted opening.
The system may additionally include at least one gasket extending across a corresponding edge of the slotted opening, the gasket providing a seal between the packaged flowers and the slotted opening. The slotted opening can be sized to accommodate standard size packaged flowers, wherein the system may further include an adapter shaped to fit in the slotted opening, the adapter being sized to accommodate smaller non-standard sized packaged flowers.
In another exemplary embodiment of the invention, a precooler system is provided for packaged flowers for operation within a flower cooler room. The precooler system includes a closed cabinet having a slotted opening in an upper surface, the slotted opening being sized to receive the packaged flowers; a conveyor disposed in the closed cabinet and supporting the packaged flowers; and a blower assembly positioned to supply airflow substantially vertically through the packaged flowers from top to bottom. The closed cabinet preferably includes sealing structure that provides a seal between the slotted opening and the packaged flowers.
In still another exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method of cooling packaged flowers is provided using the precooler system of the invention. The method includes (a) placing the packaged flowers in the slotted opening and on the conveyor; (b) moving the packaged flowers through the precooling system along the slotted opening via the conveyor; and (c) flowing conditioned air via the blower assembly substantially vertically through the packaged flowers from top to bottom.